LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As we get closer and closer to Election Day on November 5, the political ads have been ramping up.
You may have even seen some ads running on THV11. One that has been hard to miss is for Issue 2, which aims to repeal the Pope County casino license and require local elections for future casino licenses.
We heard from the groups behind the ads to learn more about their stances on the issue and what you need to know before you vote.
There's no doubt that some people are confused about what Issue 2 actually means, and we've even had some viewers reach out to us for clarification.
To break it down for you, the popular name that you'll see on the ballot is "An amendment requiring local voter approval in a countywide special election for certain new casino licenses and repealing authority to issue a casino license in Pope County, Arkansas."
"Citizens should have the right to determine the character of their own communities, especially in regard to casinos," explained Hanz Stiritz, Spokesperson for Local Voters in Charge.
Local Voters in Charge is the group that has been actively pushing for Issue 2 to pass.
"It's all about not forcing casinos into communities that vote against them," Stiritz described.
He said there are two parts to it.
First, to make sure what happened in Pope County doesn't happen again anywhere else in the state, and to amend the state constitution regarding casino licensing.
"And then also the authorization for the license in Pope County is removed out of respect for the vote of the Pope County citizens at the original vote," he added.
According to Stiritz and our partner, Arkansas Business, in 2018, most Pope County voters opposed building a casino.
"Even though Pope County voted against it, the citizens were left without a voice in the process, and are facing having a casino forced on to the community. Now, the three counties that voted for that got casinos running. Issue 2 does not does not affect those counties at all. It's all about not forcing casinos into communities that vote against them," he explained.
"We're definitely trying to do a lot of education on this issue," said Natalie Ghidotti, the Vice Chairman of Investing in Arkansas.
Ghidotti opposes Issue 2 and explained how voting for it could impact tax revenue in the state by taking away Pope County's casino license.
"It's ready. There are 300-plus acres that have been purchased. The county wants it, [so does] the judge, the mayors. So we want that project to happen. It means thousands of jobs. It means millions in tax revenue for Arkansas. And if people vote yes on this amendment, that goes away," Ghidotti explained.
Part of the revenue would go towards improving roads across the state.
"That's why we've also been educating people like this is a big deal, because that's a lot of additional money," she added.
Stiritz disagreed and said there won't be a negative impact if Issue 2 passes and Pope County loses its license.
"Revenues, jobs, none of that is affected by Issue 2. All that continues on the same as it has been," he said.
For him, it all circles back to the community.
"One side is supporting squashing the local voice on that by speaking out in opposition to Issue 2. Whereas the side supporting Issue 2 is saying, yes, let's hear from the local voters and hear what they have to say about what happens in their own community," Stiritz added.
"Vote no, if you want to keep dollars in Arkansas and you want to create momentum in our state," Ghidotti said.
On Election Day, the ballot will only show the popular name and ballot title of the issue.
To see the full text of issue 2, please click here.